Written Answers Monday 12 November 2007

Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many alcohol-related deaths have been recorded in Dundee in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Jim Mather: The information requested is given in the following table. It uses a definition of alcohol-related deaths agreed with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2006, following wide consultation. Figures only include cases where the selected causes were the main cause of death.

  Alcohol-Related Deaths1, Dundee City Council Area, 2004-06

  

 Year
 Number of Deaths


 2004
 68


 2005
 54


 2006
 51



  Note: 1. ICD10 codes: F10, G31.2, G62.1, I42.6, K29.2, K70, K73, K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5), K86.0, X45, X65, Y15.

Alcohol Misuse

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many alcohol-related deaths have been recorded in Tayside in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Jim Mather: The information requested is given in the following table. It uses a definition of alcohol-related deaths agreed with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2006, following wide consultation. Figures only include cases where the selected causes were the main cause of death.

  Alcohol-Related Deaths1, Tayside NHS Board Area, 2004-06

  

 Year
 Number of Deaths


 2004
 128


 2005
 109


 2006
 103



  Note: 1. ICD10 codes: F10, G31.2, G62.1, I42.6, K29.2, K70, K73, K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5), K86.0, X45, X65, Y15.

Care of Elderly People

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-829 by Shona Robison on 20 June 2007, what progress has been made in developing a model to inform staffing levels in care homes.

Shona Robison: Information Services Division has analysed data on approximately 3,600 residents in 123 Care Homes using a mathematical model. We expect a report in December 2007 on whether the model can be used to inform staffing levels in care homes.

Care of Elderly People

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-827 by Shona Robison on 20 June 2007, whether care homes are obliged to make public any records detailing occasions when restraint or control has been applied to a resident.

Shona Robison: Under the Regulation of Care (Requirements as to Care Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2002 care home providers are required to keep a record of any occasion where restraint or control has been applied to a resident, with details of the form of restraint and control, the reason why it was necessary and the name of the person authorising it.

  There is no legal requirement for care home providers to make public any records detailing occasions when restraint or control has been applied to a resident. Care homes are advised by the Care Commission to make the information available to the next of kin, and this would be recommended as best practice.

Civil Servants

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants have transferred between Edinburgh and London since May 2007 and which Whitehall departments have been involved.

John Swinney: The number of Scottish Government civil servants loaned to other government departments in London since May 2007 is four. The following table provides the requested information broken down into inward and outward loans. The Whitehall departments involved in these moves are Department of Work and Pensions, Home Office, Ministry of Justice and the Cabinet Office.

  

 Inward Loans
 Outward Loans


 2
 2



  The number of Scottish Government Civil Servants permanently transferred to government departments in London since May 2007 is six. The following table provides the requested information broken down by the direction of the move. The Whitehall Departments involved in these moves are HM Treasury, Department for Transport, Home Office and Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Central Office of Information.

  

 Transfers to London from Edinburgh
 Transfers from London to Edinburgh


 1
 5



  The Scottish Government does not hold or have access to such information for other government departments in Scotland.

Class Sizes

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many classes in each of primary 1 to primary 3 have (a) more than 30, (b) 25 to 30, (c) 20 to 24, (d) 18 to 19 and (e) less than 18 pupils.

Adam Ingram: Information on individual class sizes from the 2006 pupil census (the latest figures available) is published on the internet and can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/16412/PrimClassSizesSep06 .

Class Sizes

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to fulfil the commitment made by the First Minister on 5 September 2007 that class size reductions to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3 will be achieved by May 2011 ( Official Report  c. 1378).

Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-4094 on 20 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Class Sizes

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for full implementation in Dundee of the commitment to reduce class sizes to 18 and below in primary 1 to primary 3.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government will be working with Dundee City Council and the universities delivering initial teacher training to ensure we can drive down class sizes in a managed and staged way which maintains teacher quality, recognises classroom pressures and continuity of class configurations which will deliver year-on-year progress to classes of 18 in P1-P3. On 20 June 2007 the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning announced the provision of £9 million additional funding to allow local authorities to employ 300 additional teachers in pre-school and primary 1-3 in deprived areas. Dundee City Council’s share of this funding is £235,800.

  This approach has been recognised by teaching professionals as the best way to deliver our policy of class sizes of 18 in P1-P3 across Scotland.

Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4416 by Adam Ingram on 1 October 2007, what funds are directly targeted to provide services for the estimated 80,000 to 100,000 children affected by parental alcohol misuse.

Shona Robison: Local authorities receive a funding settlement to assist with the delivery of services to children, including those affected by parental alcohol misuse. It is for local authorities to decide how to allocate these resources to best meet the needs of these children taking into account local circumstances. In addition, over £10 million per year is made available to alcohol and drug action teams for treatment service, some of which could include support for young people.

  This is a complex and difficult issue, but the Scottish Government is committed to making real and lasting improvements to the lives of children in substance misusing households.

Economy

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its targets are for the growth of the economy over the next four years.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government’s growth target for this Parliament is to raise Scotland’s GDP growth rate to the UK level by 2011.

Education

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional teaching posts (a) were created from January 2006 to May 2007 and (b) will be created from May 2007 to May 2008 as a result of additional Executive funding.

Maureen Watt: Information on teacher numbers is collected in September through the annual Teachers in Scotland census. The 2006 census showed 54,484 teachers, including those in pre-schools and visiting specialists, an increase of 867 teachers from 2005. The results of the 2007 teacher census will be published in March 2008.

  We have already announced additional funding of £9 million to employ additional teachers which is over and above the £50.3 million previously allocated from May 2007 to May 2008.

Education

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many foreign nationals were enrolled in schools in 2005-06.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many foreign nationals were enrolled in schools in 2006-07.

Maureen Watt: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Energy

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to support the future development of clean coal technologies.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government has pressed the UK Government for assurances that the timetable for the competition to support a full-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstrator project will not slip any further. Representations have also been made to encourage support from the EU for CCS.

  My officials have also had discussions with Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern Energy on jointly working together on a feasibility study for CCS.

  In addition, work has been undertaken by Scottish Enterprise to consider development of clean coal technology. This has included supporting activities related to CCS through a CO2 consortium with the University of Edinburgh and others. They also work closely with the industry and have supported a number of events to promote the case for clean coal.

Ferry Services

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5075 by Stewart Stevenson on 25 October 2007, which of the factors that contributed to the increase in subsidy provided to CalMac Ferries Ltd were included in the increase in the Ferry Services for Scotland budget outlined in the 2006-07 spring budget revision.

Stewart Stevenson: None of the factors that are listed in the answer to question S3W-5075, on 25 October 2007, were included in the increase in the Ferry Services for Scotland budget outlined in the 2006-07 spring budget revision.

  The increases in subsidy that are detailed in that answer all relate to the 2007-08 financial year, since they arise from the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services contract that took effect from 1 October 2007.

Finance

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates since 1999 formal liaison meetings have taken place between officials of the Executive and HM Treasury.

John Swinney: Scottish Government officials have regular biannual meetings with officials from HM Treasury and the other devolved administrations. The most recent of these meetings took place on 28 June 2007. Previous meetings over the last year were held on 24 January 2007 and 30 June 2006.

Finance

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has utilised the dispute resolution procedure outlined in the concordat between HM Treasury and the Executive.

John Swinney: I have written to HM Treasury Ministers requesting a meeting to raise the Scottish Government’s concerns over its CSR settlement allocation.

Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive who has responsibility for deciding whether any proposed expenditure by it is ultra vires.

John Swinney: It is the responsibility of Scottish ministers to satisfy themselves that any proposed expenditure is lawful, and in case of doubt first to seek legal advice on the lawfulness or otherwise of the proposed expenditure.

Finance

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-3507 by Jim Mather on 6 September 2007, whether it intends to publish a consultation on spending priorities in respect of unclaimed assets that are available to Scotland and, if so, when it will do so.

Jim Mather: We will consult in the New Year on the spending priorities for Scotland for funds which may be released by the UK Dormant Bank and Building Societies Accounts Bill.

Finance

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what communications it has received from HM Treasury regarding changes to the capital departmental expenditure limit for the UK health budget for 2008-09 and when these were received.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what communications it has received from HM Treasury regarding changes to the UK Government’s budgets for (a) local government and (b) courts and when these were received.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what communications it received from HM Treasury regarding the consequences for the Scottish budget in 2008-09 of UK programmes and projects that would no longer be funded in that financial year and when these were received.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government received a letter from HM Treasury on 4 September 2007 in respect of the proposed DEL baseline which included reference to changes to the UK Health Department resource and capital budgets, changes to the budgets for UK local government and courts and time limited expenditure adjustments. A further letter was received on 18 September 2007 in response to concerns expressed by the Scottish Government on the lateness of any communication on baseline adjustments, in which the Chief Secretary recognised that the timing had caused difficulties for the devolved administrations.

Further and Higher Education

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which college and university developments will be supported by the funds released by HM Treasury, as announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning on 26 October 2007.

Fiona Hyslop: The allocation of funding to individual colleges and universities is a matter for the Scottish Funding Council. They have advised that of the £100 million allocated, £40 million will be distributed on a formula basis to the university sector and £60 million on a project and formula basis to the college sector.

  In the college sector, the additional funding will help support specific major college projects which have been approved by council (and are in progress), including those at Anniesland, Langside and Motherwell colleges. £20 million has been allocated formulaically to all colleges.

  The formulaic allocation of £40 million additional funding to higher education institutions (HEIs) in 2007-08 will release resources in future years to support potential large scale HEI capital projects such as campus redevelopment at Glasgow School of Art and the University of Paisley’s Ayr campus. These projects and others are still at the planning stage and are subject to Scottish Funding Council support for final plans.

  Specific allocations to HEIs and colleges in financial year 2007-08 are noted as follows:

  

 HEI
Total HEI Allocation(for FY 2007-08)(£)


 Aberdeen, University of
 2,921,000


 Abertay Dundee, University of
 995,000


 Dundee, University of
 2,769,000


 Edinburgh College of Art
 399,000


 Edinburgh, University of
 4,830,000


 Glasgow Caledonian University
 3,236,000


 Glasgow School of Art
 461,000


 Glasgow, University of
 5,148,000


 Heriot-Watt University
 1,499,000


 Napier University
 2,823,000


 Open University in Scotland
 1,084,000


 Paisley, University of
 3,004,000


 Queen Margaret University Edinburgh
 752,000


 Robert Gordon University
 2,130,000


 Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
 319,000


 St Andrews, University of
 1,189,000


 Stirling, University of
 1,650,000


 Strathclyde, University of
 3,672,000


 UHI Millennium Institute
 1,119,000


 Total
 40,000,000



  

 College
Total College Allocation(for FY 2007-08)(£)


 Aberdeen College
 1,145,000


 Adam Smith College
 956,000


 Angus College
 377,000


 Anniesland College
 436,000


 Ayr College
 486,000


 Banff and Buchan College of Further Education
 368,000


 Barony College
 168,000


 Borders College
 339,000


 Cardonald College
 607,000


 Central College of Commerce
 433,000


 Clydebank College
 482,000


 Coatbridge College
 355,000


 Cumbernauld College
 312,000


 Dumfries and Galloway College
 368,000


 Dundee College
 835,000


 Edinburgh’s Telford College
 923,000


 Elmwood College
 302,000


 Forth Valley College
 894,000


 Glasgow Metropolitan College
 740,000


 Glasgow College of Nautical Studies
 378,000


 Inverness College
 382,000


 James Watt College of Further and Higher Education
 1,189,000


 Jewel and Esk Valley College
 559,000


 John Wheatley College
 340,000


 Kilmarnock College
 467,000


 Langside College
 462,000


 Lauder College
 485,000


 Lews Castle College
 162,000


 Moray College
 283,000


 Motherwell College
 659,000


 North Glasgow College
 433,000


 Oatridge College
 195,000


 Orkney College
 135,000


 Perth College
 331,000


 Reid Kerr College
 664,000


 Shetland College of Further Education
 135,000


 South Lanarkshire College
 356,000


 Stevenson College
 720,000


 Stow College
 473,000


 West Lothian College
 410,000


 The North Highland College
 256,000


 Total
 20,000,000

Homelessness

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the reduction in the number of homeless (a) families and (b) individuals is projected to be in each of the next five years if the proposal to end the right to buy for new-build social housing is implemented, broken down by local authority area.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government has proposed to end the right to buy for new-build properties except, for example, for those tenants who are forced to move permanently as a result of demolition or refurbishment. The proposed changes would help local authorities and housing associations to meet housing need arising in their areas by enabling them to retain newly-built homes for rent and would provide an added incentive for them to undertake new build programmes.

  Those housed in the new properties retained in future by landlords may include homeless families and individuals, as well as others who require housing in the social rented sector, but it is inappropriate to link directly the government’s proposals on the right to buy to reducing levels of homelessness.

  Future homelessness levels will depend on a variety of factors including the effectiveness of local prevention strategies. The Scottish Government remains committed to preventing homelessness and to the abolition of the priority need distinction in homelessness legislation by 2012.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reissue guidance to local authorities in respect of advice in Planning Advice Note 74 (PAN 74) that "each site should contribute 25% of the total number of units as affordable housing".

Stewart Stevenson: PAN 74 on affordable housing was introduced in March 2005. It will take time both for all local authorities to adopt affordable housing policies in line with this advice as part of their overall planning policies, and for the new homes to be built. Early indications are that planning authorities are adopting affordable housing policies that reflect the advice in PAN 74 and that these are beginning to deliver additional affordable housing units. We are putting monitoring arrangements in place to assess the effectiveness of the advice in PAN 74.

  Given the current status of PAN 74 as outlined above, there are no current plans to issue any further guidance.

Influenza

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the definition of carer in Annex C, part iv, of CMO letter SEHD/CMO (2007)8, Influenza and Pneumoccocal Immunisation Programme 2007-08, excludes adults who care for elderly parents from receiving the free influenza vaccination.

Shona Robison: There is a drafting error in the CMO letter, which does not explicitly mention adult carers of a relative or friend. In practice, such carers are unlikely to be excluded as the letter states that vaccination should embrace the working definition of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommendation, and also because GPs are familiar with the existing definition of a carer contained in the 2006-07 Directed Enhanced Service. Officials are nonetheless acting now to put the position beyond doubt.

Influenza

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the definition was of a carer in guidance issued in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2006-07.

Shona Robison: No guidance issued in 2004-05 included carer definitions.

  Influenza Immunisation Programme guidance for 2005-06 recommended vaccination be offered on the basis of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommendation for:

  people who are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill.

  Influenza Immunisation Programme guidance for 2006-07 used the definition:

  A carer is someone, who, without payment, provides help and support to a partner, child or neighbour, who could not manage without their help. This could be due to age, physical or mental illness, addiction or disability. A young carer is a child or young person under the age of 18 carrying out significant caring tasks and assuming a level of responsibility for another person, which would normally be taken by an adult.

  The guidance goes on to state that vaccination should "embrace the working definition of the JCVI recommendation".

  The Scottish Directed Enhanced Services for 2006-07 used the definition:

  A person who, without payment, provides help and support to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour who could not manage without such help due to age, physical or mental illness, addiction or disability.

  Guidance on NHS Carer Information Strategies (HDL 2006/22) uses the definition:

  A person of any age who provides, or intends to provide, care on a regular and substantial basis, as defined in section 12AA of the 1968 act and section 24 of the 1995 act. That is, carers of any age caring (or intending to care for) adults or disabled children.

Influenza

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what definition of a carer the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Imunisation recommended in 2006-07.

Shona Robison: In 2006-07 the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommended influenza vaccinations for carers according to the following definition:

  Those who are in receipt of a carers allowance, or those who are the main carer for an elderly of disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill. This should be given on an individual basis at the GP’s discretion in the context of other clinical risk groups in their practice.

Influenza

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what differences there are between the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Imunisation’s definition of a carer and that used in the Scottish Directed Enhanced Services for Carers in 2006-07.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-5885 and S3W-5886 on 12 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  The definition used for the Influenza Immunisation Programme in 2006-07 is broader than that for 2005-06 and similar to that used in the Scottish Directed Enhanced Service for 2006-07. This enables a consistent approach across general medical practice in support of carers. However, there is a drafting error in the Influenza Immunisation Programme guidance in that it does not explicitly mention carers of a relative or friend who is not a child. While in practice such carers are unlikely to be excluded, officials are acting to clarify the guidance as soon as possible.

Influenza

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were diagnosed with influenza in (a) 1950, (b) 1960, (c) 1970 and (d) 1980 and how many have been diagnosed with it in each year since 1990, broken down by (i) NHS board area and (ii) age group.

Shona Robison: The NHS Health Protection Scotland Flu Spotter scheme has been collating incidence reports of flu-like illness during the winter flu season (October to May) in Scotland for 30 years. Information is collected from around 90 volunteer General Practitioners who report to health boards on a weekly basis on the number of people consulting for influenza like illness. This information is then collated by NHS Health Protection Scotland.

  This data is weekly incidence data and does not provide the total numbers of influenza consultations. As it is collected only over the flu season it does not provide incidence for the full year. This data therefore can only ever provide an estimate of the burden of influenza in Scotland.

  The figures available from the Flu Spotter scheme are as follows:

  

 Year
Peak Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Population1


 1971-722
 1,467


 1980-81
 416


 1990-91
 137


 1991-92
 399


 1992-93
 421


 1993-94
 883


 1994-95
 94


 1995-96
 390


 1996-97
 758


 1997-98
 118


 1998-99
 309


 1999-2000
 839


 2000-01
 62


 2001-02
 41


 2002-03
 42


 2003-04
 138


 2004-05
 43


 2005-06
 33


 2006-07
 158



  Notes:

  1. Where incidence of 50-600 is average seasonal influence; 600-1,000 is higher than average, and greater than 1,000 is exceptional incidence.

  2. Information not available for 1970-71.

International Development

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will open the International Development Fund for new applications.

Linda Fabiani: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-5748 on 8 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Lottery Funding

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, given the recent decision by the Big Lottery Fund’s Living Landmarks programme not to award funding to Girvan Community Developments Ltd, what financial support the Executive can provide to progress the Girvan Gateway project.

Jim Mather: Whilst the Big Lottery Fund’s decision will inevitably have been disappointing to all those with an interest in the Girvan Gateway project, the Scottish Government cannot provide the financial support being sought since it does not provide direct support for such projects. The responsibility for economic development in Ayrshire falls to Scottish Enterprise and the relevant local authorities. As such, any approach for financial support would be for them to consider based on an assessment of a number of factors, including longer term financial sustainability and potential wider local and national benefits.

Mental Health

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to provide Mental Health Specific Grant funding.

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Mental Health Specific Grant funding will be increased in the next financial year.

Shona Robison: Provision for Mental Health Specific Grant is being considered, with all other government expenditure, as part of Spending Review 2007.

Ministerial Transport

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether official cars have been used to transport ministers, for purposes outwith their official capacities, to or from private addresses other than those registered as the relevant minister’s home address and, if so, whether it will provide details of such journeys, since May 2007.

John Swinney: All use of official cars is for purposes within ministers’ official capacities.

NHS Staff

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5259 by Nicola Sturgeon on 30 October 2007, why the 2007 level of sickness absence in NHS 24 is 9.88%.

Nicola Sturgeon: The plans that NHS 24 have in place to reduce sickness absence to the national target of 4% were discussed at its recent annual review.

Planning

Nigel Don (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to use the National Planning Framework to ensure that local authorities comply with Scottish planning policies in identifying areas of search for mineral extraction to ensure an adequate and steady supply to support economic development.

Stewart Stevenson: We are considering what should be said in the National Planning Framework to help ensure that an adequate and steady supply of minerals is maintained and we will continue to monitor the position through minerals production surveys and scrutiny of development plans.

Police

Nigel Don (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will deliver its commitment to make an additional 1,000 police officers available in Scotland’s communities.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government will deliver on its commitment through the recruitment of additional new officers, improved retention of skilled and experienced officers, and the reinvestment of efficiency gains to redeploy officers to strengthen operational policing in our communities.

  On top of the increases to police GAE that will form part of the budget announcement on 14 November, the Scottish Government will invest an additional £54 million over the spending review period to build police capacity and to support as a first step the recruitment of 500 new officers. At least 150 more officers will be recruited in the current financial year, with the balance to follow across the lifetime of this Parliament.

  We shall work with police staff associations, Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) and police boards to ensure that we retain the skills of the best of the 2,300 officers who will reach 30 years of service and be eligible to retire over the next four years. As part of that work, we shall review the 30+ scheme to ensure that it properly meets the needs of the Scottish Police Service.

  In common with all public services, Scottish Police Forces and the SPSA will be subject to an efficiency target which will be announced as part of the budget proposals on 14 November. The substantial efficiencies gained will be reinvested in delivering improved operational policing, driving out inefficiency and freeing up officer time for redeployment to operational and front line duties.

  Delivering this substantial improvement in police capacity will require a partnership approach between government, police boards and chief constables. All have a key role to play, to ensure that communities across Scotland have a clear understanding of the levels of visible, identifiable and accessible policing they have a right to expect; how they will know whether those levels are being met, and how their views will be taken into account in setting policing priorities.

Public Appointments

Tom McCabe (Hamilton South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-4017 and S3W-4527 by John Swinney and Jim Mather on 18 September and 5 October 2007 respectively, whether it can confirm that Willie Haughey OBE has never received remuneration nor claimed any expenses as a member of the board of Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, the chair of the Scottish Enterprise Careers Scotland Advisory Board or as a member of the Smith Group.

Jim Mather: Payment of any remuneration or expenses to Willie Haughey OBE in his capacity on the board of Scottish Enterprise Glasgow or as chair of the Scottish Enterprise Careers Advisory Board, would be an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I shall ask the Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise to write to you in this regard.

  No members of the Smith Group, including Willie Haughey OBE, are remunerated by the Scottish Government.

Renewable Energy

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what investment in renewables technology has been in each year since 1999 and what the comparative levels have been for (a) the United Kingdom, (b) each EU member state and (c) each OECD nation.

Jim Mather: The information requested in parts (a), (b) and (c) is not held centrally.

  Scottish Government direct expenditure:

  A separate Scottish Government budget for renewable energy was introduced in 2003-04. Expenditure from this budget, by year is shown in the following table.

  

 2003-04
£2,669,070


 2004-05
£3,871,158


 2005-06
£3,931,733


 2006-07
£8,634,287


 2007-08
(to end of September) £4,175,380



  This includes:

  expenditure on the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI);

  support for the construction of wave and tidal device testing facilities at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC);

  support for the development of a deep water offshore wind farm demonstrator project in the Moray Firth,

  and the allocation of funds to assist Queen Margaret College with the development of a biomass heating project.

  Some of the expenditure in the current year is part of a £25 million package of funds, which we expect to be spent in 2007-08 and 2008-09, aimed at supporting the development of emerging technologies, currently supporting wave and tidal, biomass and hydrogen projects across Scotland.

  Wider public sector expenditure on Renewables:

  A wide range of public sector bodies and sources provide support for the development of renewables in Scotland. For instance, Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) has provided funding of around £1.2 million between 2004-05 and 2006-07 to support renewables projects.

  European Structural Funds support a range of renewable energy projects;

  Objective 1 of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has supported renewable energy projects issuing grant payments of approximately £2.5 million (£2,524,170 at last count) (includes the PURE project on Unst and the Hydrogen Lab at Lews Castle College).

  In the East of Scotland Programme of ERDF, grant payment total approximately £2.7 million have been paid to renewable energy projects (£2,713,259 at last count) (includes Sigma Sustainable Energies Fund and Fife Energy Park).

  European Social Fund payments to renewable energy projects total around £193,000 (includes IGNITE wood fuel training programme).

  Innovation funding is delivered through the SMART and SPUR programmes, which have provided in excess of £600,000 in support of projects in the renewable energy sector since April 2002.

  In addition, the Scottish Government has allocated £1 million over 2006-08 to carry out a pilot programme to explore the potential for including renewable energy technologies in future fuel poverty programmes.

  The Scottish Government also supports the work of the Enterprise Networks in Scotland. These sources have invested over £30 million in renewables over the last four years, through such vehicles as Scottish Enterprise’s Proof of Concept Programme and Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s leading role and investment in the development of the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney (also funded by Orkney Island Council, the Carbon Trust, UK Government and Scottish Enterprise).

  UK Government:

  The main provision of support to the renewable sector in the UK comes from the Renewables Obligation mechanisms. In terms of direct UK Government expenditure, over £500 million has been allocated (to projects across the UK and including in Scotland) between 2002 and 2008, comprising research and development funding plus capital grants for the development of wave, tidal, biomass, offshore wind and solar photovoltaics.

Renewable Energy

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of installed renewable electricity capacity is supplied to the national grid by (a) onshore wind, (b) hydro, (c) biomass and (d) wave power.

Jim Mather: The information in the following tables, which relates to 2006, is taken from the September 2007 edition of Energy Trends , published by the Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR). It is available online at www.berr.gov.uk/files/file41460.pdf .

  Figures for renewable sources are combined into four categories so that information about individual sites provided to AEA Energy & Environment (AEAE&E) and BERR in confidence is not disclosed. It is therefore not possible to answer the question in the format requested.

  Installed Capacity of Sites Generating Electricity from Renewable Sources in Scotland, 2006

  

Technology
Hydro
Wind and Wave
Landfill Gas
Biomass*
Total


MW
1,330.2
946.5
78.3
42.2
2,397.1


% of total
55.5
39.5
3
2
100



  Generation of Electricity from Renewable Sources in Scotland, 2006

  

 Technology
 Hydro
 Wind and Wave
 Landfill Gas
 Biomass*
 Total


 GWh
 4,224.9
 2,022.9
 424
 289.5
 6,961.2


 % of total
 61
 29
 6
 4
 100



  Notes:

  *Includes biofuels co-fired with fossil fuels.

  Components may not add exactly to totals because of rounding.

Renewable Energy

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals for renewable energy generation have been considered by ministers since May 2007 and what the outcome has been in each case.

Jim Mather: Scottish ministers are currently handling 38 renewable energy consent applications at various stages in the section 36 process leading to determination. Since May 2007, Scottish ministers have determined seven renewable energy applications and referred three wind farm applications to Public Local Inquiry. Four new applications have been received since May.

  

 Section 36 Application
 Determination
 Megawatts


 Inverleal hydro
 Consented July 2007
 3


 Greenock wind farm
 Refused July 2007
 55


 Harestanes wind farm
 Consented September 2007
 214


 Clashindarroch wind farm
 Refused September 2007
 129


 Calliachar wind farm
 Refused September 2007
 62


 EMEC Orcadian Test Centre
 Consented September 2007
 3


 Carnoch hydro
 Consented October 2007 
 1.5



  In addition, Scottish ministers had before them six renewable energy planning applications for their consideration since May 2007. They are as follows:

  

 Notified Planning Applications
 Present Position


 Monan Wind Farm, Isle of Harris
 Application notified to Scottish Ministers on 23-3-07. Application called in for Ministers determination on 4-7-07. Call-in Direction revoked 6-9-07. Application presently before Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar. Consent still to be issued


 Merranblo Wind Farm, Orkney
 Application notified to Scottish Ministers on 13-4-07. Application called in for Ministers determination 26-6-07. Case being heard by means of public local inquiry which has been set for Jan/Feb 2008


 Erection of 2 wind turbines, Strath of Brydock, Alvah, Banff
 Application notified to Scottish Ministers on 26-6-07 and subsequently cleared back to Aberdeenshire Council for their own determination on 12-9-07


 Energy from waste incineration at Binn Farm, Glenfarg
 Application initially notified to Scottish Ministers on 12-1-07 and subsequently cleared to Perth & Kinross Council for their own determination on 28-8-07


 New Hydro Electric Scheme, Callop, Glenfinnan
 Application notified to Scottish Ministers on 4-7-07 and subsequently cleared back to Highland Council on 2-8-07 for their own determination.


 Erection of 1 wind turbine at Galston Primary School
 Application notified to Scottish Ministers on 5-11-07. Under consideration.

Roads

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the alternative route for non-motorway traffic will be once the online upgrade of the A80 to motorway status is complete and whether this will be the alternative route in the event of the closure of the upgraded A80/M80 route as a consequence of accidents.

Stewart Stevenson: Once the online upgrade of the A80 is complete, the surrounding road network will accommodate non motorway and diverted traffic. The upgrade will see the addition of hard shoulders which will help to keep traffic moving at times of accident. We expect closure incidents to be minimised as a result.

Scottish Enterprise

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4686 by Jim Mather on 12 October 2007, whether it will list precisely which organisations, individuals and businesses were consulted during the process to develop the enterprise networks reform proposals.

Jim Mather: The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Development and I, as well as officials, held a number of meetings, including with the enterprise networks, local authorities and the business organisations during which the reforms were discussed. I held a stakeholder event on 17 August 2007 to which approximately 86 individuals and organisations were invited and many more attended. The Cabinet Secretary and I met a group of local enterprise company chairs on 3 September to seek their views on the way forward. In addition, a number of unsolicited contributions were received. It is therefore not possible to provide a precise list of all those involved in the development of the reform proposals.

Scottish Government Publications

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the costs of the publication of Choosing Scotland’s Future and, in particular, those pages containing the draft Referendum (Scotland) Bill.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to questions S3W-3301 and S3W-3331 on 12 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  The costs of producing specific pages, or groups of pages, of the document Choosing Scotland’s Future are not separately identifiable.

Scottish Government Publications

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which minister was responsible for instructing that the Choosing Scotland’s Future white paper be printed.

Nicola Sturgeon: It was the collective decision of the Scottish Government.

Transport

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of Scotland’s gross value added or gross domestic product was spent by local authorities on road and rail infrastructure in the last five years for which information is available and what the projections are for the subsequent five years.

Stewart Stevenson: The information in the form requested is not available.

VisitScotland

David Whitton (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement on enterprise networks by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 26 September 2007, how it will ensure that aligning VisitScotland with the six new regional enterprise bodies will not lead to a reduction in focus on East Dunbartonshire’s tourist industry.

Jim Mather: This is an operational matter for VisitScotland. However, the realignment of the VisitScotland areas to match those of the new enterprise network regions does not signal any weakening of VisitScotland’s work in local areas. Indeed the aim is to increase the effectiveness of partnership working with the enterprise network alongside tourism businesses with the potential to grow, and thus to release resources to deliver more locally. VisitScotland will continue to promote Scotland – including the East Dunbartonshire area – as a must-visit, must-return destination.

Voluntary Sector

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-3507 by Jim Mather on 6 September 2007, what safeguards will be put in place to ensure that unclaimed assets that are available to Scotland will represent new money for the voluntary sector and will not replace any existing money available to the sector.

Jim Mather: The UK Dormant Bank and Building Societies Accounts Bill identifies the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) as the distributor for these funds. In Scotland, the Scotland Committee of BIG, which is entirely independent of government, will make its decisions within priorities set by Scottish ministers, on which we will consult in the New Year.

Young People

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it agrees with HM Treasury’s view that funds from unclaimed assets should be focused on delivering services for young people.

Jim Mather: We will consult in the New Year on the spending priorities for Scotland for funds which may be released by the UK Dormant Bank and Building Societies Accounts Bill.